11 December 2015
Media release
Extra special Christmas trees
This Christmas ChildFund New Zealand is asking Kiwis to give the gift of trees to families in need in Zambia.
“While the pine and pohutukawa take centre-stage in New Zealand this time of year, avocado and moringa trees are top of
the Christmas list in Zambia,” says ChildFund New Zealand CEO Paul Brown.
“These trees are drought resistant, fast growing and bring the promise of nutritious food for generations to come. They
will help children and their families grow healthy and more promising futures for themselves, free from malnutrition and
the cycle of poverty.”
Priced at just $18, ChildFund’s Gifts that Grow ‘Special Christmas trees’ gift includes an avocado tree for bounties of energy-dense fruit, and a moringa tree, a
superfood plant also known as the ‘miracle tree’.
In addition to the nutrient-rich fruit of the avocado, almost every part of the miraculous moringa tree is edible. The
leaves, seeds, flowers and even stems can be consumed in a number of tasty ways and every piece is packed full of
high-quality vitamins, amino-acids, anti-oxidants and protein.
“The leaves and flowers can be eaten as salads, the stems cooked like vegetables, or the seeds roasted and eaten like
peanuts or used as a spice. Dried leaves and seeds are also used to make a long-lasting powder, which is sprinkled on
otherwise nutrient-poor foods to ensure children are getting what their growing bodies need year-round.”
Moringa and avocado trees are already growing well in a ChildFund community in nearby Kenya. The charity is hoping to
gift 1700 trees to start a similar initiative in Zambia to benefit children and their families for generations to come.
How Gifts that Grow works
Purchasing a Gifts that Grow is a great way to add real meaning to Christmas shopping, whether it’s ‘just because’ or as a gift for that
hard-to-buy-for loved one.
“Our commitment to gift-givers is that the items they choose will help children, families and communities grow in
health, education and independence. The gifts on offer are focused on building sustainable futures and are what
communities themselves have identified as needing most.”
Buyers can rest assured the gift bought is delivered directly to children and their families in the nominated ChildFund
project. In the case more money is raised than needed for the chosen gift, the donation will be used for a similar gift
that is still needed.
To order, visit www.childfund.org.nz or call 0800 223 111. Purchasers receive a special gift card explaining the gift and how it will benefit the recipient,
and also get a ‘gift back’ via a full tax credit.
Order by 15 December to ensure card delivery in time for Christmas or select e-card for an electronic version that can
be delivered any time after it is ordered.
More about the miracle moringa tree
• Moringa oil was once a prized in perfume in ancient Egypt, classical Greece, and the Roman Empire.
• The tree was ‘rediscovered’ in the 1990s and is now among Africa’s most economically and nutritionally valuable crops.
• Fresh moringa leaves contain:
o 3 x more potassium of bananas
o 2 x more protein and 4 x more calcium than cow’s milk
o 4 x more vitamin A than carrots
o 7 x more vitamin C than oranges
o 3 x more iron than spinach
• Highly recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers as well as young children.
• Almost every part of the nutrient-packed tree can be consumed in a number of tasty ways.
• A long-lasting powder made from dried leaves and seeds is sprinkled on foods to increase the nutritional value of the
meal or to help the re-nutrition of malnourished infants.
• Moringa seeds contain a potent antibiotic effective against Staphylococcus aureus.
• Trees can grow 4.5m in one year. They mature very fast making them ideal for drought conditions.
Ends